SIBLEY, Iowa -- In a back-and-forth second half that was full of action and featured four lead changes Friday night, the Sibley-Ocheyedan Generals claimed an exciting 31-28 victory over the Pocahontas Area/Pomeroy-Palmer Indians in a District 2, Class 1A high school football game.
S-O, which led 15-14 at halftime, rallied from a pair of fourth-quarter deficits with 16 points in the final period. The Generals trailed 22-15 and 28-23 in the fourth quarter, but answered with a touchdown -- and a two-point conversion -- each time to prevail down the stretch in a wild finish.
"That was quite a rollercoaster," S-O head coach Jordan Menning said after the game. "Our defense battled and came up big when it mattered the most, while our offense made lots of key plays to keep us in contention. It was an exciting game, and we are happy that we are 1-0 this week."
S-O is 4-1 overall and 2-1 in district action, while PA/P-P is 0-5 overall and 0-3 in the district.
"Give all kinds of credit to Pocahontas Area/Pomeroy-Palmer," Menning said. "That is a very good 0-5 team over there. They gave us problems with their rushing attack, as they were able to beat us at the line of scrimmage at times and put together several long and sustained drives that sure tested our defense."
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Luke Sommerlot (24 carries for 106 yards), Spencer Beekman (28 carries for 89 yards) and Cody Rahn (nine carries for 38 yards) did the bulk of the rushing for the Indians, who gained 225 of their 274 total yards on the ground.
Meanwhile, S-O had more of a balanced attack. Troy Schmidt completed 11 of 24 passes for 166 yards, and the Generals ran the ball 28 times for 119 yards -- giving S-O 282 total yards of offense.
Indians recover early fumble, score first
PA/P-P took a quick 8-0 lead just three minutes into the game, as the Indians recovered a General fumble on the opening possession and took over at S-O's 15-yard line.
Beekman (three touchdowns) capped a four-play series with a two-yard touchdown plunge at the 9:03 mark of the first quarter. Sommerlot ran in for the two-point conversion, putting the Indians up 8-0.
S-O came back strong and threatened to score on two separate occasions. Schmidt completed a 17-yard pass to Brett Doeden (four receptions for 99 yards) and a 39-yard aerial to Kelly Schoneman (three receptions for 57 yards) to give the Generals a first-and-goal situation on their ensuing drive.
But a penalty and a sack on fourth down prevented S-O from scoring from the one-yard line. The Generals, though, got the ball right back when they recovered a fumble three plays later at PA/P-P's 13-yard line.
S-O was stopped again, and Doeden's 28-yard field goal attempt was wide to the left. However, the Generals recovered another Indian fumble on the first play of the next series -- and this time they capitalized.
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Jacob Seivert finished a four-play, 15-yard possession with a three-yard touchdown burst on an option pitch to the left side. Seivert also reeled in a pass from Schmidt for the two-point conversion, tying the game at eight points apiece with 2:23 left in the first quarter.
The Generals took their first lead early in the second quarter, as Steven Brockshus (11 carries for 72 yards) ripped off a 39-yard touchdown run up the middle. Doeden kicked the extra point, putting S-O out in front 15-8 at the 10:57 mark.
PA/P-P countered with a six-minute scoring drive three possessions later. Aaron Youngberg completed a pair of passes to help the Indians go on a 13-play, 76-yard march that was capped again by Beekman for a one-yard touchdown run.
The two-point attempt was no good, leaving the score at 15-14 in favor of the Generals with 2:17 showing on the clock. The score remained the same as the game went to halftime.
PA/P-P started the third quarter with the ball and didn't give it up until the 1:50 mark. The Indians kept the ball on the ground and chewed up more than 10 minutes, driving from their own 25-yard line to S-O's 4 on 18 plays -- all rushes.
S-O, though, came up with a defensive stand and took over inside its own five-yard line. But the Generals fumbled on their second play, and PA/P-P's Tyler Schneidmiller recovered to get the Indians back in business at the Generals' 7.
Beekman's one-yard touchdown dive followed shortly after. Beekman added the two-point conversion, lifting the Indians to a 22-15 advantage with 3.6 seconds left in the third quarter.
Generals rally twice, win in closing minutes
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S-O, which turned the ball over again on the first play of the fourth quarter, finally got something going on its fourth possession of the second half. Starting at their own 29-yard line with 5:43 remaining, the Generals struck quickly.
A six-yard run by Brockshus plus a face-mask penalty started the drive, while Schmidt and Doeden connected for a 37-yard gain down the left sideline. Ethan Stofferan (nine carries for 47 yards) capped the three-play series with a nine-yard touchdown surge through a big hole up the middle.
Schmidt hooked up with Stofferan for the two-point conversion, as the Generals regained a 23-22 edge with 4:58 to play.
Sommerlot, though, had an answer on the ensuing kickoff -- taking the ball 90 yards to the end zone. The two-point attempt failed, and the Indians were all of a sudden back up 28-23 with 4:41 on the clock.
But S-O came right back with a 60-yard scoring drive, highlighted by Doeden's one-handed, juggling catch that netted 21 yards. Stofferan followed with a tackle-breaking 10-yard run and a 14-yard touchdown scamper, as the Generals were ahead once again.
Schmidt found Ryan Soat in the end zone for the two-point conversion, putting S-O up 31-28 with 2:25 remaining. The Generals then got a defensive stand to secure the victory, with Casey Hertz coming up with a key sack to lead the way.
"Our defense came through in the clutch," Menning said. "So did our offense. It was a great all-around performance by our team, as we showed some toughness to come back and win this game."
Doeden (10 assists, eight solos), Stofferan (11 assists, six solos), Hertz (10 assists, six solos) and Abraham Acosta (13 assists, two solos) topped S-O's tackle charts. Seivert, Acosta and Harrison Feldkamp each recovered a fumble, while Jesse Glade had an interception just before halftime.
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S-O travels to Paullina Friday to take on South O'Brien.
PA/P-P 8 6 8 6 -- 28
S-O 8 7 0 16 -- 31
